news from the BRE Group
published: 20/7/2004
This press release is over six months old and the details may have been superseded. Please contact the Press Office for the latest information.
New centre of excellence for fire safety research
A new national Centre of Excellence in Fire Safety Engineering has been established by the University of Edinburgh and FRS, the Fire Division of BRE. Based at the University, this joint initiative aims to bring a fresh research and educational impetus to the field of fire safety engineering.
The Centre will include a new University Chair of Fire Safety Engineering, jointly funded by the BRE Trust and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE). The position has been advertised and will be known as the RAE/BRE Trust Chair in Fire Safety Engineering.
Headed by the new Chair, with members drawn from FRS and the University's Fire Safety Engineering Group, the Centre will be a national focus for fire engineering research. It will also facilitate a much greater level of cooperation between fire engineering and structural engineering, a key issue in the drive for performance-based fire safety engineering design solutions.
'Establishing a recognised Centre of Excellence will give fire research a much needed boost,' says BRE Chief Scientist Professor Farshad Alamdari, 'allowing FRS and Edinburgh University to jointly exploit research opportunities and attract funding from both national and European sources.'
Close partnerships between academic and research institutes are quite common in some other countries, but much less so in the UK. However, the Centre of Excellence in Fire Safety Engineering is only the first of a number planned collaborations between BRE and universities, with construction and environmental centres of excellence already being considered.
For more information contact Professor Farshad Alamdari, tel 01923 664947, Email alamdarif@bre.co.uk
Notes for editors
FRS
FRS, the fire division of BRE, is a world leader in fire research, fire safety design and consultancy. With the most extensive fire research laboratories in the world, a highly qualified team of expert scientists and engineers, FRS is able to deliver practical solutions, technical advice and a bespoke service to a wide range of clients.
www.bre.co.uk/frs
University of Edinburgh
Fire Safety Engineering Group is part of the Institute for Infrastructure and the Environment (http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/research/IIE/ ) at the School of Engineering and Electronics. This group has a long-standing trajectory in fire safety engineering research and education.
BRE Trust
BRE Trust is a Registered charity (no. 1092193) with a mission to champion excellence and innovation in the built environment for the benefit of all. www.fbe.org.uk
Royal Academy of Engineering
The Academy brings together over 1200 distinguished engineers from all engineering disciplines. Its aim is to promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of the people of the UK.
www.raeng.org.uk
BRE (Building Research Establishment)
BRE is the UK's leading centre of expertise for construction, the built environment, sustainability, energy, fire and many associated issues. BRE provides research, consultancy, information and testing services to customers worldwide.
www.bre.co.uk
Press photographs of Professor Alamdari are available from harveyt@bre.co.uk
Please contact BRE Global (E: enquiries@breglobal.co.uk T: + 44 (0)1923 664100) if you are reading this press release past the issue date, for an update on specific product or service content.
Follow BRE Group online:
